Kakumi no Rai
by GraveBreaker
Summary: The turning point that marks the change of an era is never announced with fanfare, never noticed by the masses. Area 11, formerly known as Japan, is fated to be the starting point of such a change, but with the arrival of a young amnesiac boy, all that could be has been put in jeopardy. How will this youth, known only as Rai, alter the fate of the world? Only time may tell.
1. Chapter 1: Awakening

**I do not own Code Geass or any of its characters. Please don't sue me.**

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Blood.

It was everywhere.

Corpses littered the ruined streets. Bodies of men, women, children. All lying in puddles of blood.

But the most terrifying thing was their faces.

Faces that held no emotion. No fear, no terror. No trace of emotion on their blank faces, no reaction to the horrors around them. No reaction to their own inevitable fates.

He couldn't bear to look at them.

He turned his gaze away from the bodies before him and took in his surroundings. The city lay in ruins. The buildings destroyed, flames consuming all that remained. Once beautiful structures were now nothing more than rubble, while only the memory of their majesty remained.

_This wasn't supposed to happen, _he thought solemnly. He had acted irrationally, hadn't considered the consequences.

And so many had suffered for it.

He tore his eyes away from the sight before him, unable to look at anything for long. Anything that would remind him of his mistake. His gaze settled once more, on a new pile of bodies.

His eyes widened in horror.

_No!_

And then he screamed.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"No!" He cried, lurching forward.

"Kyaah!" Came a scream, accompanied by a loud clatter.

He twisted towards the sound, instincts taking over as he prepared for a fight. To his surprise, however, all he saw was a young woman on the floor beside a fallen chair, wincing in pain as she rubbed her lower back. "Jeez, trying to scare me to death?" She muttered.

Before he could respond, a door slammed open as a newcomer charged in. "Milly! Are you all right?" A male voice called out.

He turned towards the new arrival, a dark haired youth with violet eyes, who gave a glare that seemed to promise a painful death.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just surprised is all," she said, pulling herself of the floor. Then, turning away from her friend, she addressed the instigator of the misunderstanding. "Honestly, could you wake up a little more peacefully? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Uh, sorry?" He spoke awkwardly, blinking in surprise. His gaze roamed as he took in his surroundings.

He was lying in a bed in what seemed to be some sort of infirmary, if the medical cabinets and beds with hanging curtains beside him were anything to go by. Regardless, it wasn't any place he recognized.

Any further thoughts were interrupted by fingers snapping in front of his face. He turned towards the girl once again, her blonde hair framing a frowning face.

"Hello, are you listening to me? I asked you what your name was."

He blinked. He hadn't even noticed that she had spoken. His name? What was his name? He bit his lip, turning his thoughts inward. Then it came to him.

"Rai," he spoke slowly, feeling the name on his tongue. It felt… right. Yes, that was his name. Rai.

"Nice to meet you Rai!" She spoke cheerfully, a smile appearing on her face. "I'm Milly Ashford."

Milly turned her gaze to the boy on the opposite side of the bed, who hadn't seemed to have stopped glaring at Rai with mistrust since the moment he walked into the room.

"Lelouch Lamperouge," he said reluctantly.

Not entirely comfortable with the look Lelouch continued to give him, Rai chose to address Milly with the question that had been plaguing his mind for a while.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"You're in the Ashford Academy infirmary," She responded. "Lelouch and I found you collapsed just outside the gates. What happened?"

"What are you doing here?" Lelouch added, his eyes narrowing.

Rai frowned. He collapsed outside an academy? "I don't remember."

"Well, what do you remember?" Milly asked.

He furrowed his brow, thinking. After a minute of reflection, he let out a sigh of resignation and sadness.

"I don't remember anything."

This statement was met with a good deal of surprise from the duo. Milly gasped in shock while Lelouch slumped down onto a neighboring bed, his hands clasped together and pressed against his mouth as his eyes widened in surprise, staring off into space in thought.

"Amnesia?" He muttered in disbelief. It sounded suspicious, like a poorly thought out excuse. Yet, glancing into Rai's eyes, which bore a hollow sadness, Lelouch could see that there was no lie in the youth's face.

"You really don't remember anything?" Milly asked.

All Rai could do was shake his head. Beyond his name, there was nothing. It was as if he came into existence waking up in this bed.

"I see," She whispered. The room was quiet for a moment, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Rai felt dejected. He felt empty. It was unsettling.

Lelouch wasn't sure what to make of it all. _Amnesia. An interesting dilemma._ He briefly considered using his Geass to force Rai to remember, but quickly discarded the notion. He couldn't be certain if it would work, and he didn't want to waste the one use on a potential enemy.

Their thoughts were interrupted when Milly smacked her fist into her palm.

"Well then, in that case, you can stay here at Ashford!" She said cheerfully.

Lelouch looked up in surprise. "What? You can't be serious, President."

"Ah, but I am Lulu," Milly giggled. She turned her attention back to Rai. "We'll provide you room and board, and you could attend classes with us. You can stay for as long as you want until your memories return."

"Ah, well, I don't know…" Rai said nervously, completely bewildered by this turn of events.

"Well, that settles it! I'll call my grandfather and make the necessary arrangements!" Milly cheerfully exclaimed as she strode out of the room.

"What? W-wait!" Rai called out, but was too late, as the door closed behind the blonde.

Lelouch sighed in defeat, shaking his head at the Student Council President's antics. _I swear, that woman is going to be the death of me._

Seeing the look of complete confusion on Rai's face, he sighed once more. "You might as well go along with it. When she gets like this, no one can stop her."

Rai just sat there baffled.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Well, here we are!"

After her return from her phone call, Milly had offered to show Rai to his new room in the Student Council Clubhouse. Lelouch, meanwhile, had slipped off somewhere to "attend to important business" elsewhere.

"So, what do you think?" Milly asked.

Rai took his time looking around. They were currently standing in what appeared to be the dining room, with a large table in the middle. On the opposite wall was a window framed by curtains that overlooked the grounds. To the right was a doorway that led to a kitchen, while on the left was what seemed to be the bedroom. Though plainly decorated, everything seemed remarkably clean and orderly.

Turning towards Milly, he smiled. "It seems… nice. Thank you."

"You are most welcome," Milly said, beaming. "Now, I'll have someone sent to deliver your school uniform and to show you around tomorrow, okay?"

Rai nodded. "Alright, sure."

Milly smiled, turning towards the door, and then stopped as a thought struck her. "I almost forgot," she said, turning back towards the amnesiac with a grin. "How would you like to join the Student Council as an honorary member?"

Rai blinked in surprise. "Honorary member? Why?"

"A trade, you help us with the Student Council, and we'll do what we can to help you find your memories," She said slyly.

Rai thought about it for a moment. Though he felt there was something was off, he couldn't figure out for the life of him what it could be. In the end, all he could do was shrug and decide to go along with it. He needed every advantage he could get. "Sure, why not?"

"Excellent, then tomorrow after classes I'll introduce you to the other members," she grinned. Then, turning back towards the door she added as she strode out the room, "Well then, wash up and get some rest. You've got a busy day tomorrow! Ciao!"

Rai stood there as the door closed behind her, wondering what he just got himself into. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he made his way to the bedroom, and from there, to the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he began to strip off his clothes. They were plain, a white t-shirt, black pants and tennis shoes, and white socks. Stepping into the shower, Rai started to clean himself, and found himself wondering about his predicament.

_Just who _am_ I? Why did I collapse outside the school? Where am I from? Is anyone looking for me? If so, who?_ Then a more disturbing thought appeared in his mind, one that stopped any further train of thought. _Do I even _want _to remember?_

An odd question, especially for an amnesiac. Rai couldn't find an answer. While he felt that he needed to remember, a part of him argued that he _shouldn't_. He shoved the disruptive thought aside. Rai _had_ to remember. He needed to find out just who he really was, no matter what.

Turning off the water, Rai stepped out of the shower and glanced at the mirror above the sink. In a moment of shock, Rai realized that he had no idea what he looked like, and focused on his reflection with scrutiny.

The first thing that drew his attention was his hair. Though messy and damp from the shower, he could see that the grey hair had a silvery sheen to it. Then there were his eyes, dark blue in color. Lastly, he looked over his body, which, though slim, had an athletic build to it. He was fairly tall, he estimated, being approximately 5'7".

Satisfied with what he found, Rai allowed himself a small smile. Turning away, he began to dry himself and redress. Afterwards, he lay in his bed, contemplating his future. His new acquaintances seemed willing (reluctantly, in Lelouch's case) to help him, but the boy wondered if their kindness would last. Shaking his head of the cynical thoughts, he shuffled deeper into the bed and closed his cobalt eyes, deciding that he would worry about that later and get some sleep.

Time would tell what the future would bring when he next awoke.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**Well, there you have it folks, that's the first chapter of my first ever fanfic. Constructive criticism is requested, so please tell me if you think I should keep going, or if I'm a terrible writer and should never touch a pen again (metaphorically speaking).**

**Thanks for reading! GraveBreaker, out!**


	2. Chapter 2: History Lessons

**Well, since no one's told me that I'm an absolutely horrible writer and should go die in a hole, I assume that I'm doing something right, so here's chapter two! Enjoy! Or not. I'm not gonna force you.**

**Disclaimer: Code Geass is owned by Sunrise. That's not my name (thank goodness).**

**/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Rai awoke in a cold sweat. The same nightmare that plagued his mind before he awoke to find himself in the academy's infirmary the day before had visited his sleep once more. The same broken corpses, the same blood filled streets, the same burning buildings, the same cry of anguish and despair.

_What in the world _was_ that?_ He wondered.

A sudden knocking tore him away from his thoughts. Wondering who it could be, Rai rose from the bed and made his way to the door of his new home. Upon opening it, he was surprised at the sight of his violet-eyed visitor.

"Good morning, Rai," Lelouch said, a pleasant smile adorning his face.

Rai was somewhat off-put by this. In front of him was the person who only yesterday had regarded him with such a malevolent glare, and yet now bore a smile that made it seem as though nothing had happened.

As if he had sensed silver-haired youth's confusion, Lelouch spoke, "Forgive me, we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. I believe my treatment of you was unjustified."

"Ah, no, that's okay," Rai said hurriedly. He was still unsure as to what had prompted this change in behavior and, more importantly, how he should react to it.

Lelouch simply smiled. "Here," he said. "I was asked to bring you this." He held up a bundle of clothes.

Taking them, Rai realized they were a student's uniform, just like the one Lelouch was currently wearing.

"You'd better hurry and get dressed. Wouldn't want to be late on your first day, would you?"

"Uh, right. Give me a moment," Rai responded before closing the door.

Lelouch's smile turned into a smirk as he turned his head to the figure standing off to the side of the door.

"You may go now," He said.

"Understood," the teacher said, her red-ringed eyes showing no emotion, before leaving.

It had been a simple matter for Lelouch to locate the teacher sent to deliver Rai's uniform and guide him to his classes, and just as simple to "offer" to perform the duty himself. It gave the fallen prince a perfectly good opportunity to observe his new classmate and to see if he truly was amnesic.

Though he had shown a lapse in judgment the day before, he still couldn't be certain if Rai wasn't putting up an act. If he was, Lelouch would catch him and use the Geass to find out what his goals were, and, if necessary, remove him. If he wasn't, well, Lelouch was certain he could find a use for the boy.

At the sound of the door being opened, Lelouch quickly returned to the mask that was Lelouch Lamperouge and smiled, watching as Rai stepped out of the door, tugging at his black uniform's collar uncomfortably.

"Ready to go?"

Rai nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

As they walked through the halls of Ashford, Rai couldn't help but notice the curious glances the other students sent his way, as well as the whispering that seemed to erupt behind him as a result. Though he couldn't pick out any of the words, something told him that it was he they were talking about.

He glanced towards Lelouch walking in front of him. The dark-haired youth hadn't spoken a word since they had left the clubhouse. Instead, he kept moving forward seemingly unaffected by anything. _What goes on in his head, I wonder?_

"Heeeeey! Lulu!" A feminine voice called out, causing Rai to stiffen in surprise.

A girl with long orange hair ran up to them, waving. Stopping just short of them she spoke cheerfully, "There you are Lulu! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Ah, hello Shirley," Lelouch said, smiling gently.

Shirley smiled back, and then turned towards Rai. "Who's this?" She asked.

"This is Rai, our new classmate. I was asked to show him to our classroom."

"Oh! Hello Rai!" She exclaimed, smiling cheerfully. "I'm Shirley Fenette. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you," Rai responded, feeling a little overwhelmed by the girl's cheerfulness.

"Shirley," Lelouch interrupted. "You said you were looking for me?"

"Oh, right! Milly wanted me to tell you that she wants to speak with you after class. Something about a party, I think?" She said thoughtfully, pressing a finger to her cheek.

"I see, thank you," he said, nodding. "Well, we'd better be getting to class, then."

"Right, let's go!"

It didn't take them much longer to reach their destination, with Shirley quickly disappearing behind the door to converse with her other classmates. Before following, Lelouch turned back to Rai to address him.

"You should probably wait here," he said. "The teacher will be along shortly to introduce you."

"Oh, okay," Rai responded, watching as the door closed behind his guide. He stood there, glancing around at the now emptying hallways as students made their way to their classes. Soon, he spotted an older man whose hair and beard was more gray than black approaching him.

"Are you Rai?" The older man asked as he drew close.

Rai nodded.

The graying man studied him through his glasses for a moment. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am your teacher, Frederick Henderson. I was told you are suffering from amnesia. Is this correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Henderson stroked his beard in thought. Then, he motioned his student to follow him as he approached the door to the classroom. "Well, come on then. Let's get you introduced to everyone.

When the teacher opened the door, Rai could hear all chatter in the room die off as they walked in. He felt the gazes of all the students in the room turn towards him. Rai quickly spotted Lelouch sitting next to a boy with blue hair, resting his head on his entwined fingers, as well as Shirley, who gave him a small wave. Rai had to resist the urge to respond in kind.

"Everyone," Henderson announced. "This is Rai. Rai is currently suffering from amnesia, so he will be staying here at Ashford for the time being. I urge you all to get along with him and help make his stay here as pleasant as possible."

Turning towards Rai, he continued, "There is an empty spot next to Miss Stadtfeld. Please take a seat and I will begin the class."

Rai looked towards the back of the room where he saw the empty seat next to a sickly looking girl with red hair and blue eyes. He made his way down the middle of the room staring straight ahead, not reacting as he felt the gaze of everyone in the room follow him. Only when he took his seat did Henderson clear his throat and bring the attention of all the students back to where it belonged.

"Hello," a voice spoke out softly.

Glancing towards the red-head beside him, Rai noticed the girl smiling weakly. "Hi."

"I'm Kallen," the girl said.

"Rai."

Kallen's smile seemed to widen slightly at that, before she turned back to the teacher as he began his lesson.

Rai shifted his focus to the lecture on history, but quickly found himself completely lost as the old man spoke of the history of a place called "Area 11". In the end, when the bell for the end of the class rang, the silver-haired youth had no idea about anything that the teacher had talked about.

While the students huddled together into various groups of friends, some of which shot occasional glances his way, Rai remained seated in his chair, staring into his desk as he desperately searched for some way to glean understanding of the lesson he just heard. So focused was he on his thoughts that he failed to notice someone approaching him until they spoke.

"So, Rai, how are you holding up?"

Rai glanced up to see Lelouch beside him. "I'm… alright. Just a little overwhelmed."

"I can see that. Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Lelouch said. Frowning, he added, "Is something bothering you?"

"Well, it's just… I'm afraid I didn't understand the lesson."

"What didn't you understand about it?"

"Well, what's Area 11?"

Lelouch's eyes widened in surprise at this. He remained quiet for a moment before sighing and taking a seat next to Rai.

"Are you familiar with the country known as Japan?" he asked.

Rai nodded.

"Well, seven years ago, Japan was invaded and conquered by the Britannia Empire, and since then has been called Area 11, as it was the eleventh land to fall under Britannia's control. Since then, the people who were once called Japanese are now known as Elevens. The capitol, Tokyo, has been divided into two regions: the ghettos, where the Elevens live, and the Settlement, where Britannians and those lucky enough to become Honorary Britannians live. Ashford Academy is also located in the Tokyo Settlement."

Rai listened raptly, absorbing this information. Then, a new question caught his attention, "What do you mean by 'Honorary Britannian'?"

"Honorary Britannian is a title given to Elevens who pledge to serve the Empire, sometimes serving in its military. Though they obtain more rights than normal Elevens, they still lack the same rights as Britannian citizens."

A strange feeling of anger rose up in Rai as he asked his next question, "So, the Japanese are being oppressed by Britannia?"

Lelouch looked at Rai with an odd expression on his face. "Yes, I suppose you can say that. Britannia believes that the strong must conquer the weak, and that the weak must serve the strong."

Rai clenched his fist in frustration. _There's no excuse for treating people like lesser beings,_ he thought. _None!_

Lelouch watched quietly as Rai struggled with his frustration. Then, as the bell for the next class rang, he rose and said, "Well, I'd better get back to my seat. If you have any other problems, then by all means, let me know."

"Right," Rai replied, not meeting his eyes as the next teacher strode into the room.

The remainder of the classes passed by rather quickly, but Rai hardly listened, instead reflecting on what he had been told. Oppression. The very idea of it made him seethe. Whenever he thought about it, a scowl formed upon his face. He must have appeared rather furious, because Kallen glanced in his direction with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Realizing that his anger was showing more than he had thought, he turned to her, "Y-yeah, sorry."

She looked at him carefully before turning back to the lesson. Deciding he should do the same, Rai shoved his thoughts aside for a later time.

It wouldn't do to let his anger get the best of him again.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

After the final bell rang announcing the end of classes, Rai found himself wandering the halls of Ashford. Since he was going to be staying there for a while, it made sense to know where everything was. Doing so also seemed to give him a sort of peace of mind.

Everywhere he went, people stared at him in curiosity. Though he had learned to ignore it, eventually it began to get to him so he chose to make his way back to his room in the Student Council clubhouse. Upon arriving at the building, however, he received quite a shock.

In the middle of the room was a cluster of tables with a surprisingly lavish spread of food and drink that made him wonder if he had accidentally entered a royal feasting hall. Around the tables was a small group of people. Among them, Rai recognized Milly, Lelouch, and… _Is that Shirley and Kallen?_

Noticing him, Milly waved and called out a greeting. "Yoohoo! Rai! Over here!"

Shaking himself out of his moment of awe, Rai made his way over towards her as the others in the room began to notice him. "Uh, what's going on here?" He asked uncertainly.

"Why, it's a party, of course!"

"A party?"

Milly nodded, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Yep. It's the Welcoming Rai to the Student Council Party!"

Rai just stared at her dumbly as he processed her statement. _The _what_ party?_

But Milly didn't seem willing to give him a moment to catch up as she called out to the gathered group, "All right everybody! Introductions and greetings, go! I'll start!"

Turning towards Rai, she spoke with a cheerful smile, "My name is Milly Ashford, President of the Student Council. Let's have a good time together!"

Lelouch was the next to step forward. "Lelouch Lamperouge. Vice-President. I look forward to working with you," he said simply.

Beside him was the blue-haired boy that Rai had noticed from his class. "Rivalz Cardemonde," he said with a grin. "I'm the Treasurer. Nice to meetcha!"

Shirley piped up. "I'm Shirley Fenette, let's get along!"

Next to her was a girl with dark green hair and glasses. "I-I'm Nina Einstein," she muttered nervously, not meeting his gaze.

Kallen turned towards him. "My name is Kallen Stadtfeld. Pleased to meet you."

Following was a young man with brown hair and green eyes. "I'm Suzaku Kururugi. I hope we can become good friends," he said smiling.

He was Japanese, Rai realized with a jolt, though how he knew was anyone's guess. In fact, since coming to Ashford, Suzaku was the first Japanese person Rai had met. What was he doing in Ashford?

Before he could ask, the last person spoke out. "My name is Nunnaly Lamperouge," the young girl said, a soft smile gracing her small face. Rai noted with surprise that she was in a wheelchair, and that she did not open her eyes as she spoke.

_She's blind?_ He wondered.

"Well, now that that's done, let's get this party started!" Rivalz called out, producing a champagne bottle seemingly from nowhere.

"R-Rivalz! What are you doing?" Shirley exclaimed in surprise, moving to try to take the bottle from him.

Rivalz danced away from her, keeping the bottle from her grasp as he tried to pry it open. "Hey, hey! Relax, Shirley, it's a party.

Everyone watched their antics with a feeling of amusement, though Rai noticed Kallen backing away slowly, muttering "Not again."

Shirley seemed to redouble her efforts, and Rivalz was soon having trouble avoiding her. Rai noted in concern that as they continued, the champagne was being shaken and jostled more and more. _If they keep going on like this, then isn't it going to…_

"He-Hey! Knock it off!" Rivalz shouted, panicking. "The bottle's gonna-"

_Pop!_

Time slowed down. The bottle, having been shaken more than could be considered advisable, had built up a large amount of pressure, which desperately wanted out, and so the cork had been blasted out of the bottle like a bullet from a gun.

Straight at Rai.

All thoughts in his mind suddenly vanished as Rai swung his hand upwards instinctively, and, just before it contacted his face, he caught it.

The room went silent as the members of the Student Council turned towards Rai in surprise, though Nunnaly simply sat passively as though saying _"I have no idea what just happened, so I'm going to just sit here and smile."_

Rai looked at the cork in his hand, and then upwards towards Rivalz, who stood there with a look of surprise, and Shirley, who was still subconsciously reaching for the champagne bottle. He looked around at the others, all of whom carried similar expressions, save for Lelouch, who simply smirked.

Rai returned his gaze towards Rivalz and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I've already got amnesia. No need to add "head injury" to the list," he said jokingly.

Rivalz grinned. "I dunno," he replied. "Maybe if we whack you in the head enough, you might remember something."

Everyone drew amused smiles at this. "Well then," Milly called out. "Before we have to suffer through any more of Rivalz's bad jokes-"

"Hey!"

"Let's get this party started!"

As everyone in the room cheered, Rai let out a grin.

_I could get used to this,_ he thought.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\**

**Author's Note:**

**Aaaaaaand that's Chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed it!**

**This chapter also features my first ever OC. Don't expect him to show up too much. He was kind of an off-the-top-of-my-head addition. This was also my longest chapter to date, though, considering it's only my second, that's not saying much. Makes me wonder what'll happen when I get to the fight scenes… (Yes, there will be fight scenes. Wouldn't be much of a Code Geass fic without one or two Knightmares duking it out)**

**This chapter took me about 5 days to do. Two for planning, three for writing. I'm probably not going to have a regular updating schedule. Maybe once or twice a week. We'll see.**

**As a side note, it's interesting how I tend to deviate slightly from what I planned as I write. Originally, Rai was supposed to start out behaving like an emotionless robot, having completely forgotten how he was supposed to behave. Instead, he came out as a sort of awkward, insecure person, which, I actually prefer. Now though, his real personality is going to start bleeding through.**

**Next time, some rumors start floating around and Rai gets invited on his first Student Council trip. Can you guess what it is?**

**Tune in next time! GraveBreaker, OUT!**

**PS: Not sure if champagne bottles really do that, but who cares?**


	3. Chapter 3: Zero

**So I've finally gotten chapter 3 out. Sorry about the wait, people.**

**In response to The Immortal Siegfried's review, and as it is something I feel I should make known, no, I have not played Code Geass: Lost Colors. While I would like to, I unfortunately cannot read Japanese, so unfortunately I cannot.**

**Alright, without further ado, let's begin.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass, and trust me, you should be glad I don't.**

**/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Checkmate."

"What? No way!" Rivalz furiously examined the chess board. "That was only three moves! How do you beat someone in only _three_ moves?"

Rai looked at his opponent with a bored expression. "Simple," he said. "You play someone who doesn't pay attention."

Rivalz scowled. "I'll get you back for that, one more game!"

"Well, since you insist," Rai sighed, shrugging nonchalantly.

It had been almost a week since Rai first awoke in the infirmary, and he still hadn't made any progress on recovering his memories. Lelouch had assured him that amnesia wasn't so easily cured, but that didn't stop him from being annoyed by the whole thing. Beyond the nightmare that seemed to haunt him every time he fell asleep, nothing seemed to spark any feeling of familiarity. Not even on those brief excursions into the city for clothes and other necessities did he spy anything remotely familiar. He even tried sneaking into the ghettos one night, nearly getting mugged in the process, but that had proved to be just as fruitless.

Feeling dejected, Rai had taken to spending most of his spare time in the Student Council's clubroom, either reading or playing chess with whomever he could convince to play with him (Lelouch being the only one to refuse, claiming that he knew just how to defeat Rai, and that there'd be no challenge whatsoever), as was the case now, as Rivalz continued to try unsuccessfully to defeat the one he had taken to calling his "ultimate nemesis", the clubroom empty save for them.

"I'll take the first move," Rivalz declared, moving a pawn forward.

Rai scoffed. "Fine," he said. "Just try to actually put up a decent fight this time. I don't want to win _too_ easily."

"Oh, you are _so_ going to pay for that, Illusionary Adonis!"

Rai looked up in surprise. "What did you just call me?"

"Eh? Illusionary Adonis? Oh, that's just something some of the other students have started calling you," Rivalz said dismissively. "Something about how you always seem to disappear whenever anyone goes looking for you. Honestly, though, it's not even the weirdest thing people have been saying about you."

Rai frowned as he examined the board, the match having continued as they spoke. "And just what exactly _have_ they been saying about me?"

"Well," Rivalz spoke thoughtfully, leaning back in his seat with his hands behind his head. "For the most part, it's just been the usual stuff, like you being a forgotten noble, or the heir of some fortune or another, something like that. It's mostly been the girls talking about that.

Rai groaned. _Perfect. Like I need the attention._

"Then there are the more bizarre rumors, like how you might be a government spy, or some kind of super-powered alien sent to Earth to destroy all human life, only you fell and conked your head, and forgot all about your mission."

Rai groaned at that as he moved his rook to take his opponent's bishop. "Someone clearly watches too much anime. Don't these people have anything else to talk about?"

"Well, there's always Zero, of course."

Rai glanced up, his face turning from an expression of focus to one of confusion. "Zero? What's that, some music band or something?"

"Oh, right, I guess you haven't heard," Rivalz stated, shifting his gaze towards his opponent. "See, a while back, the last viscount of Area 11, Prince Clovis, was assassinated, and Suzaku was blamed for it."

"Suzaku?" Rai couldn't believe it. "I don't understand, why would they think he'd be the killer?"

It didn't make any sense. Suzaku was stubborn and a loyal Honorary Britannian, and held fast to his belief that he could change the Britannian system from within. Though Rai thought the young soldier's ideas to be naïve, even stating as such, Suzaku merely smiled and said that he was still going to give it his best shot.

Though Rai hated to admit it, the idea did seem somewhat intriguing, though how Suzaku planned to accomplish was beyond him.

"Well, the thing is, no one really knows if he even did it," Rivalz replied. "You see, when Suzaku was being taken to the trial, out of nowhere this guy in a mask, Zero, comes out of nowhere in Prince Clovis' _car_, claims _he_ was the one who killed Prince Clovis, grabs Suzaku and pulls him out from the middle of the soldiers and escapes!"

Rai paused. "So, what happened after that?"

"Well, since they couldn't prove that Zero _wasn't_ responsible for the murder, Suzaku wasn't convicted, and since then Zero's all but disappeared, though the military is searching everywhere for him."

"Interesting…"

Any further conversation was interrupted by the door opening, admitting a new arrival. A flash of orange in the corner of his eye was enough for Rai to determine the newcomer's identity.

Shirley Fenette sat down with a sigh. "Well, Suzaku won't be joining the trip tomorrow."

"Him too?" Rivalz scoffed, moving to take one of Rai's pawns. "What kind of Student Council trip has over _half_ of its members _not_ attending?"

"This, coming from the guy who'll be working at a bar," Rai retorted, raising an eyebrow as he moved a knight. "Check, by the way."

"Crap!"

"It can't be helped. We just picked a bad time, that's all," Shirley said wistfully, staring out the window in thought.

Calling the timing "bad" was an understatement. As it turned out, the only members of the Student Council that would be able to attend the trip to Lake Kawaguchi, apparently a popular Britannian tourist site, were Milly, Shirley, Nina, and Rai.

"You're just upset because Lelouch isn't going," Rai replied, his mouth curving into a mischievous smirk. He'd taken on a habit of teasing the others whenever possible, although he never meant any harm behind it. The others mostly attributed this to him having been influenced by Milly a tad too much.

Shirley's face immediately took on a red hue as she looked at the silver-haired amnesic in shock. "W-w-what?! N-no I'm not! I-I mean, yes, b-but…" she spoke quickly, obviously flustered at his accusation.

_Honestly, she makes it too easy, _he thought, chuckling lightly at her embarrassment while Shirley glowered at him.

Sighing, Rai rose from his seat. "Well, I'd better go and pack," he said.

Rivalz looked up at him in surprise, with a faint look of hope. "What, are you surrendering?"

The match had certainly not been going his way.

Rai smirked as he picked up his queen piece, moving it into a position to take the white king, who had no available means of escape. "Check. Mate."

Rivalz groaned, covering his eyes in defeat. "Just… just go, man."

"Better luck next time, Rivalz."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"And that is that!"

Rai looked at his now packed suitcase with a pleased expression. He didn't really have much to pack, or need to, for that matter. They were supposedly just going to stay at a hotel by the lake for the duration of the trip; it wasn't like he was going to need more than one suitcase.

The packing hadn't taken him long, thankfully. Rai glanced at the clock.

_3:26 PM. Great. I just spent, what, fifteen minutes packing? Now what do I do? _ He couldn't just go back to the clubroom and risk getting pulled into yet another unsatisfying chess match with Rivalz. What else?

Suddenly he remembered his conversation with Rivalz.

_Zero…_

"Well then, let's see if I can't find anything out."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kallen stalked away from her "friends", struggling to keep the irritation she felt hidden as she trudged through the hallways of the academy. They had the nerve to pity her like she was some frail child.

_Damn it, I hate acting like an invalid!_ She inwardly raged, though not for the first time.

Though few knew it, the sickly student that was Kallen Stadtfeld was little more than a ruse, a façade created so that the young girl could attend school. The real Kallen was known as Kallen Kozuki, a member of a resistance group fighting for the liberation of Japan, and a perfectly healthy, not-at-all-weak person, thank you very much.

She hated everything about this damn academy. She hated the ignorant Britannian students who had absolutely no clue as to what occurred outside of their cushy lives. She hated the opulence, so blatantly obvious around her, that reminded her of the Japanese families struggling to survive out in the ghettos. She hated the girls she had to pretend to be friends with, whose only interests were limited to the latest gossip. But the one thing she hated the most, above everything else, was that she was stuck having to act _indifferent_ to it all, that she was forced to pretend to be a person that just wasn't herself.

At least the young terrorist wouldn't have to put up with it forever. One day, Britannia would be defeated and driven out of Japan, and her brother's dream would finally be achieved. The dream that her brother died fighting for.

As she made her way to the library, desiring some peace and quiet, her thoughts drifted towards the present. She wondered what her brother, Naoto, would think now, if he could see the man that the resistance cell he once led had chosen to side with. What would he think of the masked man who called himself Zero? Sure, the mysterious man -if he even was a man- had proven his ability by not only effectively guiding them to victory back when Britannian forces attacked Shinjuku, but also by assassinating the Britannian prince leading said forces. Though she knew nothing about the man, or what his goals were, Kallen couldn't help but admit that Zero was impressive. Could he be the answer to their prayers? He certainly had Ohgi convinced.

_If he keeps pulling things like he did in Shinjuku, I don't care who or what he is, _she mused as she opened the doors to the academy library.

"_I am… Zero!"_

Kallen froze. Zero's voice? Was he here? What on earth was he doing in the academy?

"_Had enough, Zero? Your little show is at an end!"_

As a gunshot rang out, accentuating the spoken words, Kallen reached for the hidden knife she kept on her, scanning the area. Zero _and_ Orange? Just what was going on here?

"Woops, too loud, _way_ too loud," a third voice rang out. Kallen turned in surprise to see a familiar mess of silver hair in front of a computer screen, one hand over an ear.

"Rai?"

The figure jumped, nearly falling out of his seat in the process. Whirling around, the now identified amnesiac faced the young woman with a victimized expression. "Jesus, Kallen, don't scare me like that!"

Kallen chose not to comment that _he_ had scared _her_ first, instead approaching the computer that he was seated in front of.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Ah… I was just… Well, take a look for yourself," he said, returning his attention to the computer screen.

Shifting her attention to the monitor, Kallen immediately recognized the scene depicted in the video that was playing.

There stood a familiar vehicle, surrounded by multiple Sutherland Knightmare frames, upon which stood the masked figure that was Zero.

"Is that...?" She began. Though she knew the incident very well, having been there herself, Kallen still needed to maintain her image, annoying though it may be.

Rai nodded, his expression serious as he stared at the screen intently. "Yeah, Zero. I'd heard about him from Rivalz and figured I'd take a look for myself."

"_Now," _the image of Jeremiah Gottwald, the now disgraced former Margrave of the Britannia Military, called out._ "First you can remove that mask."_

Kallen watched in silence as Zero reached up towards his mask. Though she had been there, she hadn't seen exactly what Zero did, as she had been sitting in the driver's seat at the time. Then, just as his hand reached the mask, Zero paused, and suddenly his hand shot up into the air. With a snap of his fingers, the entire back of the vehicle came apart, revealing a massive container.

The container full of "poisonous" gas, Kallen recalled.

"_No, that's-!" _Suzaku cried out before he was silenced by a surge of electricity from his shock collar.

Jeremiah raised his gun, leveling it at the masked figure before him.

"_You'll shoot me?" _Zero asked, not moving an inch, no movement betraying any sense of fear. "_I think you know what'll happen if you try."_

"What a performer," Rai whispered, catching Kallen's attention. "He's gotten everyone's unbridled attention from the beginning. Just who _is_ this person?"

"A performer?" Kallen inquired, curious. "Most people would jump for "terrorist" first."

Rai scoffed. "Most people don't look beyond what's in front of them."

"What do you mean?"

Rai paused the video and turned his attention towards the redhead. "If he were a terrorist, then he wouldn't have bothered showing his face, so to speak." Rai began flipping through various images in the video as he continued. "Instead, he puts on a show, revealing himself as both a villain and a hero at the same time."

"I don't understand."

Rai tapped a finger on the desk in thought. "Suzaku is recognized as a hero to the Japanese community. Being the son of the last Japanese Prime Minister, and an Honorary Britannian, he gives the people hope. However, it's because of those same reasons that he's being used as a scapegoat here."

Kallen saw the scowl on Rai's face as he muttered something about Suzaku being hated for his blood. She also noted how he had once again referred to the people as Japanese rather than Elevens. He had done the same when he had first begun attending the academy, she knew, having overheard his conversation with Lelouch, and Rai had never stopped referring to them as such. Even Suzaku called the Japanese Elevens now.

"By saving Suzaku's life here, Zero cements himself as a sort of savior to the Japanese, being a hero who has saved the life of a hero. To the Britannians, however, he is seen as a villain, due to his blatantly obvious opposition to the Britannian Military. Zero knows this, and so Zero is playing a role in a performance of his own design."

Kallen blinked. While what Rai said did hold some merit, maybe he was looking too deeply into the whole thing.

"Well, maybe I'm just looking too far into it," Rai chuckled, as though having read her thoughts. "Anyways, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what he does next."

Kallen smiled at that. It certainly looked as though Zero had gotten himself a new fan.

Rai glanced at his watch. "Jeez, it's this late already?" He muttered. Turning his attention towards his companion, he added, "Well, I'd better be going. Have to get up early for tomorrow."

"You're going on the trip?" Kallen asked. She herself had refused, claiming that she was feeling a bit ill. It wasn't like she could say she was meeting with a suspected terrorist.

"Yeah," Rai replied. "Milly asked. You know how she can get."

Kallen grimaced. She knew exactly how forceful that woman could be.

"Well, anyways, I'll see you later. Bye."

"Bye." Kallen waved at the retreating figure, watching as the library doors swung shut behind him as he made his exit.

Kallen glanced towards the image on the computer, seeing Zero's black mask, and steeled herself.

Britannia wasn't going to defeat itself.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\**

**Author's Note**

**Whew, finally. Again, I apologize for the wait and thank you for your patience. I have an annoying habit of procrastinating.**

**This chapter took a lot of work. I suppose that an upside to taking so long writing the darn thing meant that I put a whole lot more effort and time into it overall. Go figure.**

**I'm concerned I may be making some of the characters a tad bit OOC, but I'm mostly working from memory here, so please forgive me. Not that I'm working **_**entirely**_** from memory, mind you. I still pull whatever information I need from the wiki and from episodes directly when I can.**

**Anyways, that's about it. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.**

**See you next time!**

**GraveBreaker, signing out! **


	4. The Kawaguchi Hotel Incident

**Thank you all for patiently waiting; here is what you've requested. CHAPTER 4!**

***Insertassortedcheersandfanfarehere***

**Ahem, yes. I apologize for the wait. Things have been rather… complicated these past few months. For further details, please examine the Author's Note at the end of the chapter.**

**Also, due to the nature of what is planned in the next chapter, as well as some of the language found in this one, the story's rating is being raised to M.**

**And without further ado, let us begin, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or anything associated with it, with the exception of this particular story. Please do not sue me, I have no money.**

**/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"_Let's go on a trip", she said. "It'll be fun", she said. Note to self: never trust Milly's definition of "fun" again. Ever._

Rai glared at the soldiers in front of him, who had announced themselves to be part of the JLF, or the Japanese Liberation Front, all of whom were armed with rifles, each trained upon the group of hostages gathered inside one of the hotel's storage rooms.

Their leader, a large, bearded man, stood in the doorway flanked by two soldiers, his hands resting upon the hilt of a sheathed sword.

"I am Kusakabe, of the Japanese Liberation Front," he announced, as his eyes strafed over the hostages with a look of apathy and disdain. "We are taking this stand for the liberation of Japan! You may not be soldiers, but you are still Britannians! You are the ones ruling us! If you keep quiet, you'll be fine. If you don't-!" He stopped, letting the unspoken threat permeate through the air.

Rai let out a low growl of anger at that. This man claimed to be a soldier? What kind of soldier would harm civilians? "Bastard!" He whispered.

Milly turned her head towards him, her eyes serious with a warning look as she held a fearful Nina. Rai understood her nonverbal message: Don't start any trouble.

But damn it all if this entire situation didn't piss him off.

He furiously scanned the room and its occupants, carefully examining the few soldiers who remained to guard their charges, all the while thinking the same thought again and again: _Just how on earth are we going to get out of this?_

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kallen couldn't help but wonder what Zero had called her and the others for. His statement of it being "the key to our future successes" was too vague to glean any sort of understanding. She had already met with Ohgi and the others, upon which the motley group of terrorists began to make their way to the location Zero had decided to meet them.

Other than a few questions to see if anyone knew anything about what was going on, and Tamaki's excitable venting of ideas of what Zero had to show them, -A million trained troops and Knightmares? Really? - the walk was quiet, and Kallen felt a growing feeling of anticipation. Just what did Zero have in store this time?

Upon arriving at the abandoned underground parking garage, Kallen was surprised to see a large transport vehicle parked there. With some trepidation, the group slowly made their way towards the vehicle, with Ohgi in the lead. Cautiously, Ohgi opened the door, releasing a gasp of surprise.

"What's wrong?" Zero's voice called out. "Hurry inside! As of right now, this will be our hideout."

Kallen watched as Ohgi leaned forward to get a better look inside, before stepping inside. "So, you think it's a good idea for you to join up with us?"

"Yes," Zero replied as the others began to file in. "We're comrades, after all."

Kallen stepped inside, taking a look around. The vehicle looked as though it would belong to a rich Britannian. The interior was incredible, and everything looked high class. There was even a television built into the wall! Nothing like they had back in their base in Shinjuku could even compare.

"How did you manage to get this?" Ohgi asked.

"I asked a rather licentious nobleman to let me have it for free," Zero responded modestly.

"You asked for it?" Ohgi replied incredulously. "Just like that?"

"It's all right. No strings attached."

Kallen looked around as the others let out exclamations of amazement. The entire vehicle was nothing short of amazing.

But she couldn't help but wonder. Zero had just asked for it, and gotten it free of charge? Impossible. He must have blackmailed the previous owner for it, right?

The television flickered on as one of the group, Yoshitaka Minami, took hold of the remote, displaying an image of a reporter in front of a large building in the middle of a lake.

"_So, how do things look at the scene?"_ A male voice spoke on the television.

"_Right," _the reporter began. _"I'm standing in front of the Lake Kawaguchi convention center hotel. The hoteljackers have identified themselves as the Japanese Liberation Front, and have taken hostage members of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting, notable among which is Chairman James, as well as several tourists who happened to be there as well."_

Kallen drew closer to the screen as the reporter spoke. _Lake Kawaguchi? Isn't that where-_

The image changed, showing a group of people surrounded by armed JLF members. _"This is footage which was taken by the perpetrators,"_ the reporter continued, as the camera panned to the side revealing more hostages. _"You can clearly see Chairman James, as well as several students."_

Kallen's eyes widened in surprise. There to the side, with their arms held above their heads, were the members of the student council, and in the middle of them, eyes glaring furiously towards the camera, was Rai.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

At Ashford Academy, in a certain Britannian prince's bedroom, a green haired girl in a prisoner's uniform watched the news report with an expression of mild interest, slowly chewing on a slice of pizza as her eyes were drawn to a familiar face.

"_So, you've finally woken up," _She wondered. _"But why?"_

She briefly recalled the words of the youth whose room she now stayed in. He had mentioned someone who seemed to be an amnesiac. She certainly hadn't expected it to be _him_.

She pondered this unexpected turn of events briefly, before giving a noncommittal shrug. It wasn't any concern of hers. If the boy survived, his… talent could prove helpful. If not… well, no great loss. She certainly wouldn't be bothered if that one lost another contract.

The girl reached for another slice of pizza.

"_So, what will you do now?"_

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Suzaku was getting restless as he gazed upwards towards the hotel from the lakeside. So many people, innocent lives, were in danger, and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Can't A.S.E.E.C. help out with the rescue operation?" He asked the two people behind him.

"I asked them," Lloyd Asplund, Suzaku's patron and leader of the Britannian Special Research Division, otherwise known as Camelot, replied sullenly, clasping a stone in his hand. "But we're an irregular unit with a different chain of command. Besides…" He stopped abruptly, tossing the stone out into the water where it skipped upon the surface a few times before inevitably sinking below to the lake bottom.

"They can't entrust the operation to an Eleven, right?" Suzaku guessed.

"Princess Cornelia is very discriminating about Britannians and Numbers."

"We're still not accepted enough."

"But then what's the point of even having the Honorary Britannian system?" Cecile Croomy, Lloyd's assistant, asked.

Suzaku couldn't answer that, and turned his gaze back towards the hotel. It felt as though his goal was farther and farther out of reach.

"_Do you really think it'd be that easy? Just work your way up the food chain and change everything yourself?"_

Suzaku narrowed his eyes as, unbidden, memories of his last conversation with Rai began to surface.

"_I know what you're going to say", Suzaku replied. "Trust me, I've heard it before."_

"_Then you should have a reasonable idea of just how improbable it is that you'll succeed, right?"_

"_You're wrong. I believe Britannia can be changed. It just needs someone to point in the right direction."_

"_You are incredibly naïve, do you know that?"_

_Suzaku chuckled dryly. "Maybe. But regardless, I have to try, otherwise things will stay the way they are, and all the Elevens will keep suffering the way they have for the past seven years."_

_Rai's expression darkened at that. Suzaku had been aware of Rai's trip to the ghettos. It would have been difficult not to be, with how Shirley had reacted upon the amnesiac's return, bruised from a fight with less than friendly thugs who didn't take kindly to finding a Brit on their turf._

"_Fair enough," Rai replied. "Just remember, you can't do everything yourself. Don't be afraid to call on others."_

_I understand what you want to tell me, Rai, _Suzaku thought sullenly. _But I will change Britannia. I just hope you and the others will live to see it._

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Lelouch cursed softly as he watched the news. It had been hours since he first found out about the hotel's hijacking, and the JLF wasn't backing down. Worse, if the Britannian military had thus far been unable to do anything, then no doubt they were being routed on every front.

After the initial report, he had chosen to relocate to a room of his new base that he had designated as his private quarters.

He viewed the screen of the small television in front of him quietly as Shirley Fenette's father spoke to the reporters, desperately asking for someone to help his daughter.

_We need organization if we're to fight Britannia._ He reflected. As Zero, he had been hoping for some time to rally sufficient backing before revealing his organization to the world. _But this is too soon! Still, we can't just do nothing either. Knowing Cornelia, she'll just sacrifice the hostages!_

A sudden thought struck him. _Then why doesn't she move? Is it possible?_

His thoughts were interrupted when the door behind him opened with a clatter.

"Zero," Kallen began. "What will happen to the hostages?"

Lelouch paused for a moment. Without turning around, he took hold of the remote and muted the television. Willing away any hint of emotion in his voice that might betray concern, he replied. "Eventually, there'll be no reasons to keep the Britannians alive."

"Yeah," Kallen uneasily agreed. "Yeah, you're right."

_Even if they aren't soldiers, they're still Britannians… the enemy. _Kallen thought. _But even so, why do I-_

"Hey Zero, should I hand these out to everyone?" Ohgi called out as he walked into the room, a cardboard box in his arms.

Kallen glanced into the box, noticing what appeared to be black clothes inside.

"I mean, they look cool and all, but we're just a resistance group, so…"

"Wrong!" Zero suddenly exclaimed, whirling around in his seat to face them. "We're not a resistance group!"

"Then what are we?" Ohgi asked.

"What we are trying to be…" He began, rising to his feet, "are knights of justice!" He proclaimed, sweeping his arm outward dramatically.

Lelouch smiled as he watched the surprised faces of the two. "Now," he instructed, "distribute those amongst the others, and tell them to get ready. We have work to do."

The two nodded, and left the room. Returning to his seat, Lelouch turned to face the television screen once more. _Now, let's see if my hunch is correct._

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Night had fallen now, and still no further orders had been given out. Suzaku sat inside the cockpit of the Lancelot, the Knightmare frame given to him for his work with Camelot, with Cecile behind him as they, in an effort to occupy themselves, examined the Lancelot's systems for the umpteenth time, despite both of them knowing they'd find nothing wrong.

Silence had reigned for a time, as the two wholly devoted themselves to the task. But after a while, Suzaku began to feel unsettled. The longer this situation continued to drag on, the worse things would get.

As though sensing his frustrations, Cecile spoke up. "Those students are in the student council, aren't they? They'll keep the negotiations up for them."

"I believe in the system," Suzaku replied with certainty. "I prefer the logic of systems to personal emotions."

Suzaku blinked as the display monitor in front of him located movement.

"Miss Cecile," he called out, "Look!"

"What?"

The screen zoomed in. "That's…" A sudden chill ran up his spine. Up on the rooftop were five figures. Four were armed and garbed in the green JLF uniforms. The fifth was bound in ropes, and was being pressed closer and closer to the edge.

"Are they going to?" Cecile cried out in shock.

"Don't…" Suzaku whispered, unable to do anything but watch as the prisoner was pushed forwards by soldier. "Don't do it!"

He leapt out of his seat and his eyes widened in horror as the man fell from the edge.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

**/\/\/\/\/\/\**

**Author's note:**

**I have to say it. I hated writing this chapter with a passion. The reason why being that I essentially had to steal practically all of the dialogue and most of the scenes themselves from the episode itself. But it had to be done. There was no other option. If, by doing this, I have committed some form of a Fanfiction taboo, then I humbly beg for forgiveness.**

**In an effort to remedy what could possibly plagiarism, and in an effort to keep myself protected from any lawsuits, I made sure to add in additional scenes and alter the existing ones as best as I could. I hope it works.**

**Now, to account for the long break between the last release and now. First off, I finished my first semester of college, and dove into summer break, a time when all worries and concerns simply drift away. So, I am sorry to say that my attention during that period of time was elsewhere. Secondly, there were issues with the planning. Initially, chapter four was supposed to encompass the entire Kawaguchi Hotel Incident, and perhaps a little more afterwards, but that soon became impossible. While the original idea was totally devoted to Rai's perspective, the event simply encompassed to many things for me to simply ignore and skim over. Therefore, the new plan is to break the event into two parts.**

**Thank you again for your patience, and though I wish I could say you wouldn't have to worry about going through this again, well… I have to be honest. I'm a whimsical person. It may perhaps take even longer for chapter five, so… here's to hoping!**

**Lastly, I'd like to thank Alastor Wolfkin. He's a good friend of mine who's been kind enough to look over my stories before I post them and help me correct any mistakes I've made. Without him, I'd probably suck more than I do now.**

**PS: Does anyone know if I have to keep writing disclaimers up there? It's kind of annoying.**

**See you next time!**

**GraveBreaker, signing out!**


End file.
